The field of inventions is wellhead equipment and is intended for use in oil wells, where extraction is carried out by using pumping equipment with reciprocating sucker rods.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,623,696 disclosures a sucker rod rotator 22 that deploys a stop post 36 to rotate an actuator handle 35. The sucker rod 19 enters the well head from the top of the stuffing box 14 and extends past the pumping T 15 into the well. Oil pumped from the well is expelled through the pumping T port connected to the horizontal pipe on each upward stroke of the sucker rod 19 by the overhead pivoting beam 11/12; the end of the actuator handle will hit the top of the post 36, causing the sucker rod 19 to rotate within the rotator 22. It does not show how the stop post 36 is supported or any structure on the stop post 36. The sucker rod 19 is rotated to reduce local wear in the stuffing box and prevent leaks at the seal therein, as well as maintain pumping efficiency.
Advances in well head instrumentation have improved the efficiency of oil pumping, but also increased the complexity and hence vulnerably of the components. Instrumentation has also increased the mechanical complexity.
There is a need for high reliability in all weather reconditions with exposure to oil field chemicals, drilling and petroleum residue. Hence, components must be highly corrosion resistant. Mechanical parts that move also must not jam. Jamming can damage components as well as cause the failure of the sucker rod rotator, leading to leaks and expensive repairs as well as non-productive down time for the well.
In some more modern installations, the rotator arm 35 is actuated by a cable that extends upwards to a fixed portion of the rig; hence as the rotator 22 moves with the sucker rod 19, the cable on each downward stroke will urge the arm 35 upward.
However, this configuration can become problematic if the cable is tangled, cut or otherwise disengage from either the upper portion of the rig or the arm 35. However, additional overhead cables are used for other purposes, primarily to carry signal wires to a load cell or other well head instrumentation, which by overhead placement clears the cable up and away from workers and adjacent equipment. However, such multiple cables can more easily become twisted and entangle with each other in high winds.
Accordingly, it is a first to objective of the invention to provide an improved means to activate a sucker rod rotator, and for the secure attachment of such means that is more reliable, will not jam or corrode with extended use.
The above and other objects, effects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings